Progress & pitfalls

The 23rd COP was held from November 6-17 in Bonn, Germany. As per usual practice, the meetings of the three Subsidiary Bodies were also held during the same time: the 47th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 47) and Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 47), and the fourth part of the first session of the Ad hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1-4). The COP23 also coincided with the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 13), and the second session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1-2). The main focus of COP23 was to continue work on various aspects of the Paris Agreement, the pre-2020 commitments, how the Adaptation Fund can feed into the implementation of the Paris Agreement, a gender action plan, technical aspects of adaptation and mitigation, raising finances, capacity building in developing countries etc. Various steps needed to activate the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage were also discussed.

Discussions at COP23

The discussions at COP23 were overshadowed by the announcement of US President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. While this was no surprise, it was certainly a setback to the Paris Agreement. Another important event that hung over COP23 was the recent Cyclone Winston, which had unleashed havoc in Fiji, leading to damages worth USD 1 billion. This sent a chilling reminder of the threats of climate change. This was also confirmed by a message from the Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organisation, Petteri Taalas, who highlighted “record-breaking global temperatures, carbon dioxide concentrations, and sea temperatures, as well as increasing ocean acidification, and more intense hurricane, monsoon, and drought seasons”. Some good news came in the form of German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks’ contribution of USD 60 million to the Adaptation Fund. Other funding came from Italy, and the total available with the Adaptation Fund was now USD 93 million. France and other EU countries also committed to fill the funding gap which was created by the US dropping out of the Paris Agreement.

Interestingly, even though US President Trump got the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Michael Bloomberg led a group of US states, cities and businesses to pledge various actions such as phasing out coal at COP23.

An interesting development at COP23 was the launch of an initiative named ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’ by the UK, Canada and 18 other countries. The Alliance offered technical support to those efforts that were aimed at transitioning away from coal to green sources of energy.

Another important initiative taken in COP23 was the inclusion of oceans in the discussions on climate change. Some countries launched the ‘Ocean Pathway’ to include oceans in the UNFCCC discussions and incorporate them in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The purpose was that the UNFCCC’s work on finance and adaptation could also include oceans. Fiji, Samoa, Marshall Islands, Sweden and Norway were the initial donors for Ocean Pathway. This list was later expanded to include Finland, Honduras, Romania and the UK. These countries, along with a few others, signed the ‘Because the Oceans’ declaration during COP23.

Meanwhile, most delegations, while supporting the Paris Agreement, continued to reiterate their positions and demands. The G77 and Small Island States asked for more financial commitments from developed countries and a dialogue to move towards a conclusion on the Loss and Damage issue. Australia spoke for the Umbrella Group and reiterated their demand for greater transparency on reporting of emissions and mitigation efforts. Here are the main discussions and outcomes from COP23:

• The Talanoa Dialogue: This dialogue was launched as an inclusive, transparent and participatory process to help countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and review the extent of their compliance with the Paris Agreement commitments.
• The Paris Agreement Work Program (PAWP): It was agreed that the ‘rulebook’ to implement the Paris Agreement would be fast-tracked. This would include rules on transparency, finance, reporting, compliance and tracking progress.
• Loss and Damage: The Warsaw International Mechanism was recalled and it was agreed that a clearing house to transfer climate risk and an expert group on non-economic losses would be formed. It was also agreed that support to vulnerable countries would be enhanced.
• Finance issues: The action on contribution to the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund was reviewed and found wanting. It was agreed that more resources needed to be mobilised. The long-term target of mobilising USD 100 billion per year by 2020 was also reaffirmed.
• Equity issues such as gender and role of indigenous people: A Gender Action Plan was adopted which would integrate gender issues into climate policy. A Local Communities and Indigenous People’s Platform was also established which would include local knowledge and practices in policymaking.
• Pre-2020 commitments: Countries were urged to take more ambitious pre-2020 commitments and stronger mitigation actions. The idea was to maximise progress before 2020, when the Paris Agreement targets kicked in.

Conclusion

While COP23, under the presidency of Fiji, took the implementation of the Paris Agreement forward, the conference came in for criticism on the slow progress being made on emissions reductions. Lord Stern of the UK pointed out that the emissions reductions pledged were too little to address the global warming challenge. The Times reported that the emission cuts pledged would easily be outdone by the massive increase in emissions expected from Asian and African countries. Nick Bridge, the UK climate change envoy to the UN, summed it up aptly: “We have a fantastic political consensus to move forward, but we don’t have the action we need”. Other challenges highlighted were insufficient climate finance, slow progress in finalising detailed rules for the Paris Agreement and lack of action on loss and damage compensation to developing countries.

The writer is Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Mass Education Extension and Library Services and Department of Cooperation, Government of West Bengal